Former Rep. George Santos Set To Serve 87 Months In Prison For Wire Fraud And Identity Theft

Disgraced New York congressman George Santos has been sentenced after pleading guilty to wire fraud and identity theft charges.

The former rep received more than seven years behind bars during his sentencing hearing on Friday in a Long Island courtroom. His punishment comes two years after his indictment in May 2023.

George Santos was elected as the U.S. representative for New York's 3rd congressional district in 2022 and sworn into office in January 2023. However, his reign was cut short in December 2023 when the House of Representatives voted to expel him from Congress.

During his sentencing, Santos was ordered to spend 87 months in a federal prison. His punishment continued with a bill of over $370K in restitution. He also forfeited certain assets, bringing the total cost to $580,000.

The disgraced NY rep initially faced a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison for the identity theft charge. However, it seemed the judge decided Santos needed a higher punishment to match his crimes. Following his indictment, the former politician was charged with close to two dozen crimes.

Santos initially described his indictment as a witch hunt before acknowledging his faults and accepting a plea deal last summer. He pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft and wire fraud, confessing he used a campaign donor's credit card in September and October 2022, per TMZ.

The night before his sentencing hearing, Santos appeared on One America News Network's "The Matt Gaetz Show." He expressed concerns about serving his sentence in a federal prison, claiming his safety was at risk.

According to Santos, his life might be endangered behind bars because of his stance against gangs during his short tenure in Congress. On that note, he revealed he would request to serve his time in solitary confinement for his protection.

It remains to be seen if his request will be granted, but his sentencing left many ecstatic on X. "That will complete his 2 terms," a critic mocked Santos.

Another implied he was in for trouble behind bars, noting, "He'll be dropping the [soap emoji] a lot…" A third celebrated his 87-month sentence, writing "Bye Bye!" while a fourth condemned Santos' actions.

"Shouldn't have stolen puppies from the Amish if he wanted any public sympathy," the X user penned. Their words referenced Santos's theft charge in Pennsylvania after several bad checks were written in his name to Amish dog breeders in the area. The incident occurred in 2017, per CNN.

The Blast covered Santos' fall from grace in 2023, reporting that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Justice Department had slammed the former representative with federal charges.

He was accused of several crimes, including corrupt practices, orchestrating a credit card fraud scheme, and lying about his credentials. Santos also made waves for allegedly stealing the money meant for a disabled Iraq War veteran's dying service dog.

The veteran, Richard Osthoff, claimed the scam occurred in 2016 when he lived in a New Jersey tent along a highway with his pet, Sapphire. Their situation became dire when Sapphire fell ill and was diagnosed with a stomach tumor that required surgery.

Unfortunately, when he met Santos, Osthoff could not raise the $3,000 bill and was searching for other ways to pay. However, the former politician worked with him under the false name Anthony Devolder.

Santos, posing as Anthony Devolder, met Osthoff while running a pet charity called "Friends of Pets United."

He allegedly promised to help Osthoff and opened a GoFundMe account to raise money for his sick dog. Things went well initially, with donations pouring in for Sapphire until Santos went under the radar.

Osthoff recalled he shut down the donations page when it reached the $3,000 mark and became "increasingly difficult to contact." Although he recommended a pet clinic to Osthoff for Sapphire's treatment, Santos wasn't forthcoming with the money.

Eventually, Osthoff discovered Sapphire's tumor was inoperable, and Santos had used the money meant for his dog's surgery on "other dogs." The veteran lost his beloved pet a year later, motivating him to file charges against the former rep for the scam and loss.

In December 2023, The Blast confirmed Santos' reign had officially ended following his expulsion from Congress. The House of Representatives sent him packing with an impressive 311-114 tally, with 105 Republicans in favor.

Meanwhile, all four top House GOP leaders shockingly opted to keep Santos in Congress. Following his exit, the convicted felon expressed his anger to sources, declaring, "It's over." He was stunned by the House's decision, claiming they had set a "new dangerous precedent for themselves" with his expulsion.

When asked if he would stay to use non-member privileges, Santos vehemently responded: "Why would I want to stay here? To hell with this place." The former rep could access these privileges because he did not have a felony conviction at the time of his removal from Congress.

Will George Santos win his request for solitary confinement?